NEWS: Palestinians may exhume the body of the late Pres. Arafat after media claims traces of polonium were found on some of his possessions, but say they want more information first. Israeli officials deny Arafat was poisoned and say they had nothing to do with his death. Hamas says Hanniyeh will meet with Pres. Morsy in Egypt. Israel reaches a plea bargain with a journalist over classified information. Israel's Council of Higher Education rejects an application for higher status from a settlement college. Palestinian protesters demand an end to negotiations with Israel, this time without any disruption from security forces. UN officials say Hamas must allow the Palestinian election commission to conduct voter registration in Gaza. Reports say Jordan is discriminating against Palestinians fleeing from Syria. Palestinian officials downplay prospects for the upcoming meeting between Pres. Abbas, Sec. Clinton and Pres. Hollande. Israeli settlements are badly damaging the Palestinian economy in the Jordan Valley. Reuters looks at the collapsing West Bank economy. COMMENTARY: Thomas Friedman looks at the implications of the victory of Morsy for Egyptian-Israeli relations. Ephraim Sneh says bold action on the Israel-Palestine conflict is needed to stem the tide of Islamism. Bradley Burston says, following the legacy of the late PM Shamir, Israel is burying itself via the settlements. Alex Fishman says new conspiracy theories about the death of Arafat are designed to provide a narrative of a more “dignified death” for the national leader. Peter Joseph says Israel's new coalition government could still produce significant breakthroughs. Alan Phillips says theories about polonium poisoning of Arafat are problematic for both Israel and Fatah. George Hishmeh says the US seems more interested in appeasing Israel with tough talk on Iran rather than doing anything to deal with the civil war in Syria. The Daily Star says the cause of Palestine has been forgotten in the Arab uprisings. Benny Morris says Israel is likely to attack Iranian nuclear facilities.

West Bank high life masks deepening economic crisis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Noah Browning - July 5, 2012 - 12:00am

Past the Israeli sentry towers blackened by firebombs and the entrance to a refugee camp emblazoned with posters of rifle-clenching militants, downtown Ramallah sparkles. The scars of an intractable conflict and occupation melt away: cafes bustle with smartly dressed patrons, water-pipe smoke perfumes the air and basslines from trendy clubs shake the night. New model BMWs ply leafy avenues beneath villas and tall apartment blocks sprout from the West Bank hills. But it's more mirage than miracle.

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What Does Morsi Mean for Israel?
Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In The New York Times - July 5, 2012 - 12:00am

Is the election of Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, as president of Egypt the beginning of the end of the Camp David peace treaty between Israel and Egypt? It doesn’t have to be. In fact, it could actually be the beginning of a real peace between the Israeli and the Egyptian peoples, instead of what we’ve had: a cold, formal peace between Israel and a single Egyptian pharaoh. But, for that to be the case, both sides will have to change some deeply ingrained behaviors, and fast.

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Israeli settlements 'jeopardising' Palestinian prosperity
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
July 5, 2012 - 12:00am

The study suggests Palestinians could generate an extra £1bn ($1.5bn) a year if restrictions to their use of land, water and movements were removed. It says Palestinians can use only 6% of the land, while settlers control 86%. Israel criticised the report, saying it had "a clearly political agenda". About 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

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The Coming War
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Benny Morris - (Opinion) July 3, 2012 - 12:00am

Over the years, commentators–including myself–have wrongly predicted an Israeli assault on Iran’s nuclear installations coming “soon.” But recent developments and a variety of signs indicate that such an attack is imminent, and highly likely before the American presidential elections.

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Palestinians skeptical on Clinton-Abbas meet
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Nida' Tuma - July 5, 2012 - 12:00am

Palestinian officials don’t believe that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Friday-scheduled meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and French President Francois Hollande will bring them back to the negotiation table. The meeting, which Clinton requested, will discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and the release of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails. The meeting agenda also includes a Palestinian plan to seek a UN resolution that condemns settlements in the “occupied” territories.

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Palestine’s winter
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
(Editorial) July 4, 2012 - 12:00am

Since the so-called Arab Spring began a year and a half ago, there has been one cause conspicuous by its absence: that of Palestine. This is a subject that was described as the central issue of Arab nationalism and was the inspiration given for revolutions and military movements that have taken place since the great catastrophe of 1948.

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Report: Jordan biased over Palestinians from Syria
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
July 4, 2012 - 12:00am

HRW's report could not be independently verified. The Palestinians are living in a heavily-guarded housing complex near the northern border, 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the Jordanian capital. Jordan already hosts 2 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants who fled or were driven out of their homes in Arab-Israeli wars.

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US sending the wrong signals
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) July 5, 2012 - 12:00am

Although Syria seems on the verge of imploding, US President Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney — both locked in a tight presidential campaign — are still distracted, focusing elsewhere in the Middle East — yes, on Israel and its inflated ambitions!

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UN envoy: Elections commission must be allowed to work in Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
July 5, 2012 - 12:00am

UN envoy Robert Serry on Thursday called on authorities in Gaza to allow the Central Elections Commission to operate, after Hamas suspended its work. Serry, the UN special coordinator for the peace process, visited the commission's headquarters in Gaza on Thursday, a statement from his office said.

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